Edward f



(No Model.)

B. P. HOLBROOK 8a E. N, GOODWILLIE.

APPLIANCE FOR CLOSING DOORS;

Patented Aug. 10

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD F. HOLBROOK AND EDGAR N.

GOODWVILLIE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPLIANCE FOR CLOSING DOORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,823, dated August 10, 1897.

Application filed August 22, 1896.

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that we, EDW'ARD F. HOLBROOK and EDGAR N. Goonw1LLIn,of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Appliances for Closing Doors, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to means for insuring the automatic closing of doors in fire-walls between buildings or compartments by the effect of heat on a thermostatic connection with an electric circuit or on a readily-fusible connection with a mechanical appliance for controlling a lock employed to hold the action in check; and the object of our improvement is to leave the door free to be opened and closed by hand and to provide means for antomatically closing it, it open, in case of fire, said means having such connection and relation with the door as not to be disturbed when the door is opened or closed by hand. Ive attain this object by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation showing a fragment of a fire-wall with a sliding door in connection with our invention. Fig. 2 is a detail showing aside view of a bracket with a holder in conjunction with an electric lock. Fig. 3 is a detail showing a top view of the holder and its connection with the bolt of the lock. Fig. 4 is a detail showing a section on the line 4 4: of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail showing in perspective detached parts.

In the drawings, A designates the fire-wall, and A a metallic sliding door which is suspended on hangers A provided with pulleys adapted to run upon a track A fixed to the wall over the door, so as to allow the door to be moved to and fro by hand for closing and opening the passage B through the fire-wall in the ordinary manner.

The means for insuring the automatic closing of the door should it be open when the building is afire comprises a cable 0, extended over and parallel with the path or space traversed by the door in opening and closing and supported on pulleys c, a weight D, attached to one end of the cable and preferably housed in a case D, a holder E, adapted to secure the other end of the cable for keeping the weight in suspension, a lock H, provided with an automatically retracting spring pressed Serial No. 603,665. (No model.)

bolt for securing the holder upon the cable, a thermostatic connection H in an electric circuit or a mechanical expedient secured by a readily-fusible connection for releasing the spring-pressed bolt, an arm F, attached to the door and preferably provided with. an eye f or slot, through which the cable can pass loosely, so that the arm can move freely to and fro upon or alongside the cable when the door is being opened and closed by hand, and a knob or projection G, fixed on the cable at a point which will stand beyond the path or space traversed by the arm in opening and closing the door when the cable is secured in the holder and keeping the weight in suspension and which will traverse said space along in the path of the arm when the weight descends and strike or push the arm with sufficient force to close the door if open. The thermostatic connection in the electric circuit or the fusible connection is so located in the building as to effect the release of the look by the increase of temperature caused by the fire in advance of its reaching the door.

The holder comprises a bracket e, adapted to be secured to the wall below the plane where the weight is to be held in suspension, a revoluble piece 6', provided with an arm 6 having a barbed projection e adapted to engage the retracting-bolt h of the lock, and an engaging piece a, connected to 'the cable, whereby the cable may be so connected with the lock that it will be released when the bolt is sprung back by the spring I), Fig. 6.

The revoluble piece has pivotal connections a with the bracket and is provided with an open side slot of, extended considerably beyond the axis or line of the pivotal connections, and an open bottom slot a extended across the side slotand up to or nearly to the axis. The engaging piece is an inverted T- shaped piece having the upright part adapted to the side slot and the cross-piece a adapted to the bottom slot, so that the pull of the cable will lift the cross-piece into the bottom slot without tendency to produce rotation when the arm 6 is engaged with thelock. A light spring I) is employed in connection with revoluble piece and arranged to press the arm 6 outward from the lock and to revolve said piece when unlocked until the pull of the cable will be brought to bear against one side of the bottom slot, so as to aid the spring in causing a half -revolution, by which the bottom slot will be brought on top and so release the piece 0' and allow the weight to fall.

The arm F is preferably pivoted centrally to the door and provided with a spring connection f therewith at one end for allowing the arm to yield sufficient to prevent breakage should it be struck by the knob under the full momentum of the weight, as it wouldbe if the door were only partially open at the commencement of the action.

The wall is provided with a stop (1 to prevent the door from being moved in the direc-- necessary to describe the same here in detail.

What we claim is 1. In a door-closing device of the character described and, in combination, a cable supported over the space traversed by the door for retaining the holder in its connection with the cable, means for causing the operation of the look. by the action of heat for releasing its connection with the holder, an arm connected with the door and adapted to move alongside the cable, and a knob on the cable set outside the space traversed by the arm and adapted to traverse said space in the path of the arm with the descent of the weight asspecified.

' 2. The cable-holder comprising a revoluble piece provided with an open side slot extending past its axis, an open bottom slot extended across the side slot parallel with and toward the axis and an arm adapted to engage an electric look, a torsional spring applied to the revoluble piece and an engaging piece connected with the cable and adapted to work in the slots of the revoluble piece as specified.

EDWARD F. HOLBROOK. EDGAR N. GOODWILLIE.

iVitnesses:

ANNIE M. ADAMS, ELLIS LEVY. 

